Director - Riyadh Expo 2030 (4800475)

Director – Riyadh Expo 2030

Department for Business and Trade (DBT)

Location: UK Base with some international travel
Salary: £100,000 - £162,500

About the role

The Department for Business and Trade has a clear mission – to grow the economy. Our role is to help businesses invest, grow and export to create jobs and opportunities right across the country. 

The DBT is leading the UK’s participation at Riyadh Expo 2030, a global event expected to attract over 40 million visitors from over 190 different countries.

This is a high‑profile opportunity to act as Director and Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for a flagship, Prime Minister‑endorsed programme. You will lead the UK’s presence end‑to‑end, ensuring it delivers lasting economic, diplomatic and reputational impact.

Key responsibilities

As Director and SRO, you will take full accountability for shaping and delivering the UK’s participation across its entire lifecycle - from early strategy and business case development through to pavilion delivery, operations and programme closure. You will define a clear and compelling vision for the UK’s presence, translating this into a high‑impact visitor experience and a strong platform for trade, investment and global engagement.

You will lead a complex, multi‑year programme, overseeing a substantial public budget alongside commercial and sponsorship income, ensuring strong financial discipline, value for money and delivery confidence throughout. This will include directing major procurement and contractual activity, as well as building and maintaining investor and partner confidence.

Operating at the centre of government, you will work closely with Ministers, senior officials and cross‑Whitehall partners to align priorities, manage dependencies and support decision‑making. You will also build strong relationships with international stakeholders, including Saudi counterparts, delivery partners and the private sector.

About you

We are seeking an experienced senior leader with a strong commercial and financial capability, including experience of procurement, contract management and working with private sector partners, alongside oversight of significant budgets and ensuring value for money.

You will be credible and influential at senior levels, able to build effective relationships across government and beyond, and work closely with Ministers (or equivalent) and stakeholders to drive delivery.

You will be an excellent communicator, able to set a clear, compelling vision and translate it into a deliverable programme, while providing visible leadership to build and motivate a high‑performing team.

Experience of international, large‑scale or public‑facing events is desirable.

If you’re looking for a high-profile role that offers meaningful impact, considerable complexity, and the opportunity to demonstrate strong, inspirational leadership, we’d really like to hear from you. For further details, please join the candidate information session via the link below:

Microsoft Teams on 18/06/2026 at 14:00-14:45 (UK time).

For further information please contact Andrew Timlin - 07887 777735 or Owen Quant -  07867 695217

We are committed to inclusive and diverse leadership, and we welcome applications from under-represented groups and those based across the whole of the UK.

Contact information

Department Business and Trade

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